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UFC Jacksonville: Emmett vs. Topuria – Betting Preview

Despite just recently cracking the featherweight top-15, ahead of UFC Jacksonville this weekend, undefeated featherweight contender, Ilia Topuria is fast closing a heavy betting favorite to defeat former interim title challenger, Josh Emmett. Topuria, who improved to 13-0 as a professional last time out, managed to turn in a dominant victory over the highly-touted contender, […]

Topuria, who improved to 13-0 as a professional last time out, managed to turn in a dominant victory over the highly-touted contender, Bryce Mitchell, defeating the submission grappler with an eventual second round arm-triangle submission win of his own – earning his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus.

As for Emmett, the current number five ranked contender has yet to return to action since co-headlining UFC 284 back in February in Perth, Australia – suffering a second round triangle choke submission loss to Yair Rodríguez in the pair’s interim title showdown.

And despite working his way to an interim title fight with Mexican striker, Rodríguez, Emmett is closing as a heavy betting underdog at +260 over at BetWay to defeat Topuria, with the Georgian finisher closing as a decent betting favorite as high as -330.

Forced the distance just once throughout his thirteen fight professional career, Topuria, who has been tipped to fight for featherweight gold in the future, only failed to land a victory by way of finish against Youssef Zalal in his promotional debut back in October 2020 on ‘Fight Island’.

A veteran of both Cage Warriors, and Brave CF before his eventual transition to the UFC, Topuria has racked up consecutive knockout wins over the trio of Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, and then Jai Herbert at the lightweight limit before his submission win over Arkansas native, Mitchell in December of last year in the final flagship event of the year for the UFC.

Retaining his top-5 rank in the division despite his triangle choke submission loss to Rodríguez back in February in Perth, Australia – Emmett had enjoyed a run of five consecutive wins en route to his interim championship siege.

18-3 as a professional, the Arizona native, who turned 38 years of age back in March of this year, landed a stunning one-punch KO win over Michael Johnson back in 2019 to kick start his title run.

In successive victories since, Emmett dispatched Mirsad Bektic with a knockout win, before turning in a trio of decision successes over Shane Burgos, recent winner, Dan Ige, and perennial contender, Kattar in a close, San Antonio main event decision win.

The night’s co-headliner is also set to receive substantial action, as Brazilian grappler, Amanda Ribas takes on former Dana White’s Contender Series feature, Maycee Barber in a co-main event bout at the flyweight limit.

In the midst of a five-fight winning run since dropping a loss against current flyweight champion, Alexa Grasso, Barber last turned in a split decision win over Andrea Lee in March, however, is closing as a +160 betting underdog to defeat Minas Gerais native, Ribas, who is closing as a -200 betting favorite.

The current number nine ranked flyweight contender, Ribas’ most recently returned to the winner’s enclosure against compatriot, Viviane Araujo at UFC 285 back in March at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ilia Topuria betting favorite to defeat Josh Emmett in pivotal UFC Jacksonville headliner later this month

Undefeated featherweight contender, Ilia Topuria has both opened and is largely closing as a significant betting favorite to defeat former interim championship challenger, Josh Emmett at UFC Fight Night Jacksonville later this month. Topuria, the current #9 ranked featherweight contender, managed to improve to 13-0 as a professional in his most recent Octagon outing, successfully […]

Topuria, the current #9 ranked featherweight contender, managed to improve to 13-0 as a professional in his most recent Octagon outing, successfully defeating fellow division contender Bryce Mitchell with a one-sided victory at UFC 282 back in November, submitting the former with a third round arm-triangle choke. The victory earned Ilia Topuria another post-fight Performance of the Night bonus.

As for Emmett, the veteran featherweight knockout artist challenged for interim divisional gold in the co-main event of UFC 284 back in February in Perth, Australia – suffering a second round submission loss to Yair Rodríguez as the Chihuahua native wrapped up a second frame triangle choke submission victory.

And riding a 13-fight undefeated career run into his first promotional headliner later this month, unbeaten German-born finisher, Topuria is closing as a significant -280 betting favorite to beat the +240 betting underdog, Emmett at UFC on ABC 4 in ‘The Sunshine State’.

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5-0 since his transition to the UFC in 2020, Topuria landed a debut Octagon victory against Youseff Zalal, taking home a unanimous decision triumph.

In a whopping four consecutive stoppages wins since, Ilia Topuria, a highly-touted contender who has been tipped to challenge for UFC featherweight gold in the future, landed back-to-back KOs over Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, Jai Herbert – the latter at the lightweight limit to boot.

Securing career submission win number eight back in November of last year at UFC 282 in his sophomore pay-per-view feature under the Dana White-led banner, Ilia Topuria submitted the fellow highly-considered Mitchell with a third round finish.

Emmett, the current #5 ranked featherweight contender, saw his impressive run of five consecutive victories halted by Rodríguez at UFC 284 back in February, seeing his record dropto 18-3 as a result.

In between his 2018 knockout loss to promotional alum, Jeremy Stephens and his February loss, Emmett had landed successive wins over Michael Johnson, Mirsad Bektic, Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and most recently, in a contentious win, defeated Calvin Kattar with a split decision win in the main event of UFC Fight Night August in June of last year.

And previewing their end-of-month clash in Jacksonville, Florida, Topuria claimed Emmett was just tailor-made to be finished inside the opening round.

“Josh Emmett has nothing to lose,” Ilia Topuria explained. “He’s fighting a superstar. He’ll be proud to share the cage with me for the rest of his life. He’ll tell his kids that he was there with me one time. He’s perfect to be finished in the first round, His style matches with mine in a way that i will shine that night. My only concern is that he shows up on the night of the fight.”

Glover Teixeira ‘Bothered’ By Damage Inflicted On Anthony Smith

Many fans cringed at the damage Anthony Smith took at the hands of Glover Teixeira at UFC Jacksonville last week. Even Teixeira was a little bothered by it. Teixeira made it four wins in a row following his fifth-round TKO win over Smith. In the process, “Lionheart” lost some teeth, suffered a broken nose, broken […]

Many fans cringed at the damage Anthony Smith took at the hands of Glover Teixeira at UFC Jacksonville last week. Even Teixeira was a little bothered by it.

Teixeira made it four wins in a row following his fifth-round TKO win over Smith. In the process, “Lionheart” lost some teeth, suffered a broken nose, broken orbital as well as a cut under his eye.

However, the fight could have been stopped much earlier especially given the damage the Brazilian inflicted on Smith over the course of three rounds.

Some laid blame on referee Jason Herzog — who has since apologized for the late stoppage — while others believe Smith’s corner was at fault for not throwing in the towel earlier.

Teixeira: This Never Happened To Me Before

Regardless of who was at fault, the damage inflicted on Smith left a sour taste in Teixeira’s mouth.

“When he handed his own tooth to the referee and said: ‘Here, hold my tooth.’, I thought he was going to give up or that he was injured,” Teixeira said in an interview with Ag Fight (via Bloody Elbow). “I was baffled and stopped to see what that was all about. Then he handed the tooth over and I apologized to him, I told him it was part of the job. He told me ‘It is what it is’. He was still in the fight, so I kept trying to finish the fight.

“… That had never happened to me before. You always want to win and score a knockout, but we don’t want that. It’s part of the job, but to lose teeth, break a bone, I don’t want anyone to go through that. I was kind of bothered by that, but it’s part of the job.”

What do you make of Teixeira’s response?

Glover Teixeira’s Coach Says Referee ‘Did A Great Job’ In Anthony Smith Bout

Glover Teixeira’s coach John Hackleman believes referee Jason Herzog did a great job reffing the fight against Anthony Smith. In the main UFC Jacksonville, Teixeira was taking on Smith where he won by fifth-round TKO. Yet, after the event, many c…

The post Glover Teixeira’s Coach Says Referee ‘Did A Great Job’ In Anthony Smith Bout appeared first on MMA News.

Dana White Calls String Of UFC Events In Jacksonville A ‘Home Run’

UFC president Dana White is pleased with the success of the promotion’s three-event week in Jacksonville. On May 9, the UFC held an event for the first time since March 14. It was the start of a three-event week for the UFC. All three cards were …

The post Dana White Calls String Of UFC Events In Jacksonville A ‘Home Run’ appeared first on MMA News.

Anthony Smith Calls Jason Herzog’s Apology A ‘Coward Move’

Anthony Smith did not seem to appreciate referee Jason Herzog’s apology. Smith suffered a fifth-round TKO defeat to Glover Teixeira in the UFC Jacksonville headliner earlier this week. However, for many observers, the fight could have been stopped sooner with “Lionheart” taking plenty of damage over the course of three rounds. Herzog — refereeing the […]

Anthony Smith did not seem to appreciate referee Jason Herzog’s apology.

Smith suffered a fifth-round TKO defeat to Glover Teixeira in the UFC Jacksonville headliner earlier this week. However, for many observers, the fight could have been stopped sooner with “Lionheart” taking plenty of damage over the course of three rounds.

Herzog — refereeing the fight — came under criticism but it was Smith’s corner, more so, who received the bulk of it as they allowed him to continue fighting rather than throwing the towel.

Smith had since responded urging people to stop focusing on his corner but Herzog decided to apologize for a seemingly late stoppage of the fight.

#UFCJAX pic.twitter.com/Y4DefYSdrm

— Jason Herzog (@JasonHerzogMMA) May 15, 2020

Smith: Herzog Apology Was Cowardly

While watching UFC Florida last night, Smith sarcastically commented on the referee allowing the main event to play out despite both Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris taking quite a bit of damage.

“Trying to watch fights from the eyes of other ppl tonight… one guys is hitting another guy a bunch. Is this where we start calling for the ref and corners to step in? Also, what point do we get “disgusted” ?”

Trying to watch fights from the eyes of other ppl tonight… one guys is hitting another guy a bunch. Is this where we start calling for the ref and corners to step in? Also, what point do we get “disgusted” ?

— Anthony Smith (@lionheartasmith) May 17, 2020

When a fan responded about Herzog’s apology, Smith let everyone know what his thoughts on it were.

“Coward move on his part, in my opinion.”

Coward move on his part, in my opinion.

— Anthony Smith (@lionheartasmith) May 17, 2020

Smith seems to be alluding that Herzog caved into public pressure rather than sticking to what he felt was right — which was that Smith could have continued no matter how much damage he was taking.

While there certainly is a debate there, there is nothing cowardly about owning up to what Herzog may very well identify as a mistake on second viewing.

What do you make of Smith’s response to Herzog’s apology?